


At the Edge of the Ocean

by Bindy417



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shipwrecked, Angst, F/M, Love, Mystery, Ocean, Romance, beach, mermaid au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-11
Updated: 2018-02-06
Packaged: 2018-12-01 00:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 20,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11474943
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bindy417/pseuds/Bindy417
Summary: AU. Oliver almost drowns when the Queen’s Gambit sinks and is saved by a mysterious creature. When he learns that his savior is actually a beautiful mermaid named Felicity, Oliver can’t decide if he’s more shocked by her existence or the fact that he feels such a strong connection to her. Coming from two different worlds, Oliver and Felicity must decide if their love is true and what they’re willing to sacrifice to make it work.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SassySnow1988](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SassySnow1988/gifts).



> **Hey, guys! So I originally posted Part 1 of this mini fic back in February on Tumblr. The concept is highly visual, meaning I'd paired gifs and edits to go along with the text. They're not necessary, but they do add a fun element to the story. Since not everyone is on Tumblr, I also wanted to post this here on AO3. The formatting is a little more finicky on this forum, so I've only included a couple of images. If you'd like to see them all, though, the tumblr link to the original post is in the end notes.**
> 
> **I very rarely write fics with mystical elements but once this idea popped into my head, I couldn’t get it out. I’ve always loved mermaids, and the inspiration for this came while re-watching _Splash_. However, the plot itself doesn't follow the movie. It was merely the creative catalyst. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and will let me know what you think!**

It was rare that Oliver Queen, billionaire playboy, thought about falling in love. He knew it would happen someday–when he was older, more mature, and done with his partying ways. He knew whoever he chose to love would be beautiful. She would be charming. She would be smart. She would be well-connected. And most importantly, in a bright and bustling metropolis like Starling City, she would be a vision by his side that dazzled.

Not once did Oliver think he wouldn’t have a choice in who he loved. Fate was nothing more than an illusion of grandeur. Something desperate people told themselves to make their choices in life seem more important. No one but Oliver Queen would be the master of his destiny. No one but himself would have control over his heart.

It was the complete and utter truth until _she_ came along.   She was unexpected. She was dazzling. She was everything… _but human_.  

The day she’d first come into his life had started like any other. Spring break was almost over, and Oliver’s father Robert had convinced him they were in need some of some good, old-fashioned father-son time before Oliver returned to college. His mother Moira and little sister Thea would, naturally, stay behind in Starling while Oliver and Robert took to the high seas on the family yacht, the Queen’s Gambit, as they’d done many times before.

The storm seemed to have appeared out of nowhere. The wind howled as the waves roiled, thrashing violently against the boat. The Queen’s Gambit teetered back and forth precariously on the dark, choppy water. Oliver wasn’t one to normally get seasick, but even his iron stomach had begun to feel queasy. It was the middle of the night and he was exhausted, but Oliver got up anyway to find his father. He wanted to know exactly how much longer they’d have to weather through the storm.  That’s when it happened…

The yacht suddenly lurched. Loud clanging and cracking sounds rang out around him before Oliver was plunged into cold, wet darkness. As he opened his mouth to shout for help, his lungs filled with icy water. His chest seized, and his limbs flailed to find purchase.  There was nothing to keep Oliver from drifting down deeper into the dark abyss. Already he could feel his body becoming sluggish and his limbs heavy.

His eyes were almost completely closed when he thought he saw movement. Something touched Oliver’s shoulder, but he was too far gone to be concerned. Whether it was by the ocean or some unseen predator, he was about to die. Various images of his family flashed before his eyes: attending his first baseball game with his father, his mother helping him get ready for a school dance, and five-year-old Thea begging him to play tea party with her and her dolls.  Much like the water flooding his lungs, Oliver was filled with overwhelming sorrow and panic that he’d never see them again.  

As he slowly slipped into unconsciousness, Oliver felt himself moving through the water.  There was a solid pressure against his back and shoulders, as if a pair of arms were wrapped around him and squeezing tightly.  Oliver didn’t know how long he’d been out before he eventually awoke to find himself drifting in a life raft.  His eyes felt swollen, his lungs burned, and all of his muscles ached but at least he was alive. The same, unfortunately, couldn’t be said for his father or the crew. Oliver was alone and as he gazed out at the now calm water and lack of noticeable debris, he knew they were all most likely dead.

Dehydrated, Oliver couldn’t even form the tears he needed to mourn his father properly. He didn’t move for the longest time. It wasn’t until much later that he discovered a small ration of food and water tucked into a compartment in the raft. Oliver quickly lost any concept of time. It could’ve been a couple of days or an entire week that had passed. His mind drifted as aimlessly as the raft that sheltered him. The moment he truly knew his sanity had abandoned him was when he thought he saw a pink fishtail breaking the surface of the water in the moonlight. In fact, there were several times that he imagined something pink lurking just beneath the surface.

Finally, Oliver opened his eyes to see an island in the distance. He was so close, and yet the current wasn’t with him. There were no ores in the life raft to paddle himself to shore. Maybe Oliver could jump into the water and swim, but he wasn’t strong enough to tug the raft with him, too. Abandoning it was out of the question, since it was too valuable to lose.  

Oliver was cold, tired, hungry, and about to let himself pass out again when the raft had suddenly jutted forward. He flew backward onto the floor, bewildered, before quickly scrambling up. Something had to be beneath him, because the raft was moving as if a motor was attached to it.

“What the hell?” Oliver had muttered, feeling both scared and oddly hopeful as the island grew closer.

Minutes later, he was almost to the shore when the raft abruptly stopped. It was all the encouragement Oliver needed. Without a second thought, he jumped over the side and into the water. It was frigid and came up to his waist. Hissing from the sudden shock of sensation, Oliver took hold of the raft and yanked it with him the rest of the way to shore.

He collapsed on the rocky terrain, just barely managing to keep from whacking his head. Or maybe he did because he lost consciousness after that. It was around dusk that Oliver cracked open his eyes to find a strange, shadowed creature perched on another set of rocks nearby.

His heart lifted upon seeing its slender curves and long hair. It looked like a woman until his gaze drifted down to find the outline of a tail. Was he really imagining some kind of freakishly giant fish again? And why was it also a woman now? Had the sun fried his brain, or was he already that lonely? Oliver’s questions went unanswered because as soon as he’d blinked, the mysterious creature was gone.

The next morning, after he’d clumsily foraged for some food, Oliver had thoroughly convinced himself that the creature he’d seen was nothing more than a figment of his imagination. A hallucination, in fact, caused by the delirium of spending so many days drifting out at sea.  

From that point on, Oliver was determined to do whatever it took to stay in the right frame of mind. He’d explored the island, which seemed to be uninhabited, as best he could. There was a brook where he could drink fresh water and a few edible plants. Being a city boy put him at a disadvantage, but Oliver did remember some lessons from the time he’d been trying to earn his Boy Scout survival badge years ago. He even gathered wood for a fire. Upon further inspection of the raft, Oliver discovered a small box of emergency tools and a first-aid kit. Among the items was a lighter, which had proved useful.

Slowly but surely, Oliver felt some of his strength returning. He didn’t have any more random hallucinations, which was automatically a good sign. However, he couldn’t survive on just plants and berries. The pains in his stomach were becoming uncomfortable. He was craving food with more substance, such as bread and meat.

Since there obviously wasn’t a bakery on the island and he had no idea how to hunt live game, Oliver turned to the sea for sustenance. He used to go fishing with his father all the time as a kid. Seeing as though he didn’t have any hooks or fishing line, Oliver fashioned himself a spear from a long, thick stick and waded into the water. He chose the rockier, enclosed cove areas because that’s where fish often liked to frequent.

Nevertheless, Oliver quickly learned that spearing fish was nothing like hooking them. He had to stand as still as a statue in the cold water while being as quick as lightning. He’d been in that exact spot for hours when he got so frustrated that he dove right under, intent on using his bare hands to catch the slippery suckers. It was eat or perish, and so Oliver just had to catch something.

It came as no surprise that the fish escaped his grasp, and yet Oliver almost inhaled a mouthful of water in shock. About ten feet away, swimming off into the distance, was a long pink tail attached to a human body. It was that creature again, only this time it didn’t have the darkness to hide it. The light seeping through the water showed what looked like long blond hair and shapely curves.

_Mermaid_ , Oliver’s mind shouted.

He sprinted out of the water and back to land, gasping and shaking as he tripped over his own feet to put as much distance between himself and the beach as possible. His logical mind searched for some kind of explanation; the hallucination excuse was getting old. Plus, she’d just looked so damn _real_.

Real or not, Oliver had dragged the raft deeper into the woods that night, pulled the covering over the top, and slept inside. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the water. Recounting every single mermaid movie Thea had made him sit through growing up, Oliver tried to remember the legends. If it was like _The Little Mermaid_ , then mermaids couldn’t just come and go on land as they pleased. Ariel’s tail had been permanent, which was why she sought out Ursula’s magic. On the other hand, if it was like _Splash_ , then mermaids could dry off and immediately have a pair of legs. The latter was exactly what Oliver was afraid of.  

He’d avoided the beach completely the next couple of days and stayed strictly in the woods. Oliver was on his guard every minute but, luckily, nothing human or otherwise popped out at him. The third day, unfortunately, he couldn’t put off going to the beach any longer. Oliver had been in the process of making a large pit for a signal fire that he needed to finish as soon as possible. If there was even the slightest chance of a boat passing by in the distance, then Oliver had to be ready.

Although his spear had been useless in catching fish, it was the best weapon he had besides the Swiss Army knife tucked into his pocket. Oliver carried the spear tightly in his hand as he approached the beach. He didn’t know what exactly he was expecting. There wasn’t much that could be done to change the natural scenery, but nothing suspicious stuck out at him right away either.

Oliver had never been afraid of the water before but after that terrible storm and the possible creepy creatures lurking beneath the surface, it gave him the chills. Taking a deep breath and ignoring the unending hunger pains in his stomach, Oliver approached the pit and took stock of how much more work needed to be done. He walked over to the pile of wood he’d gathered to find the best pieces and immediately froze.

Beside the wood was another pile, but this one was made up of fish.  There was also a message carved into the sand.

**_Sorry_ **

Oliver reared back, this time because of astonishment rather than fear. He blinked rapidly several times but the words remained. The mermaid not only knew how to spell, but she was apologizing. And for what? Scaring him the other day?

Staring once again at the fish, Oliver’s stomach growled loudly. He’d seen enough Sci-Fi horror movies to know that a seemingly kind gesture could be the ultimate trap. But if he didn’t eat food with some nutrients soon, he’d be weaker than he already was. The large fire pit forgotten for the moment, Oliver made a smaller pile and ignited it. Then, he whipped out the knife and proceeded to skin and splay the fish open. He skewered the edible parts and then proceeded to cook them over the fire. When they were done, Oliver set upon them like a wild animal. He barely could register the taste, because he was swallowing faster than he was chewing.  

His stomach, finally satisfied, rumbled loudly afterward. Oliver glanced at the water, his eyes searching for a splash of pink among the waves. When he didn’t see anything of the sort, he returned to his original task. The food he’d consumed gave him a necessary burst of energy, and he was able to get a lot done. Just before leaving, Oliver scribbled his own message into the sand.

**_Thank you_ **

More time passed, and the pattern continued. Oliver would arrive on the beach every morning to find fish or other edible seafood waiting for him. Sometimes there was another short message like a greeting or tip about the island. The mermaid was actually clever and suggested making multiple pits and scattering them to cover the most ground.

Although the idea that something like her existed still freaked him out, Oliver couldn’t ignore that she was a valuable resource. He was almost positive that she was the one who’d saved him in the water and pushed him to shore. Now she was giving him food and advice. The back-and-forth exchange, no matter how small or limited, also kept him from feeling totally isolated. Despite hoping that his father might wash up on the shore in a similar fashion, Oliver never did see any signs that pieces of the wreckage could’ve reached his current location–wherever the hell that was.

What he really wanted to know most of all was why she was sticking around and helping him. Didn’t mermaids prefer to be off frolicking in the deep sea with the dolphins or whatever other friendly fish existed? And if there was one mermaid, then there naturally had to be more elsewhere. Was she alone, or did she have a family of her own to return to? He didn’t even know her name.

That evening, before returning to his makeshift shelter in the woods, Oliver scribbled a slightly different message in the sand.

**_My name is Oliver. What’s yours?_ **

All night he tossed and turned as the unending questions plagued him. He briefly considered sneaking back to the beach to get a glimpse of her but was afraid it might scare her off. The mermaid had been careful to avoid direct contact with him ever since that day he’d gone fishing.

Upon first light, Oliver was up and racing through the woods. He scanned the shore and felt his heart skip a beat when he saw her answer.

**_Felicity_ **

_Felicity._ The mermaid’s name was Felicity. It sounded so free-spirited and beautiful, which he told her when he wrote back. Oliver had disappeared into the woods after that to get more wood and supplies. When he returned, a new message was waiting for him. His heart sped up yet again, because she’d never answered him twice in the same day before.

Felicity had thanked him and said that he was cute, too, which meant that she had to be nearby right now watching. Did Felicity have a crush on him? Was that why she’d been helping him? Also, why did Oliver feel invigorated by that fact instead of scared?

He wrote in response, **_Not fair that you can see me but I can’t see you._** He added a winking smiley face and leaned back to stare at the words.  Was he actually flirting, with a mermaid no less, using silly scribbles in the sand?

Yes, he was. If anyone back home could see former playboy Oliver Queen now, they’d be laughing their ass off at him—and probably calling him crazy. Before Oliver could second-guess himself, he stood up and walked away. He didn’t return until later that night.

**_Soon_** , was Felicity’s response.

That time, his heart skipped an entire beat and he quickly knelt in the sand to reply. **_Can you walk?_**

**_No_** , she’d eventually written back. **_Need to stay near water._**

Their conversation continued over the next several days. **_I can come into the water…_**

**_No! Too dangerous. Stay on the shore please._ **

Her response brought Oliver up short. He was no fan of the ocean anymore, but Felicity’s warning made it seem like there was something other than mystical mermaids like her that he needed to watch out for.

**_Ok I’ll stay on shore._ **

**_Promise me._ **

**_I promise. But I still want to see you._ **

That was the last correspondence they’d had. It was like Felicity suddenly disappeared after that. She’d even stopped bringing him piles of fish. Days turned into weeks. Oliver was apparently on his own again, and he cursed himself for pushing Felicity before she was ready. He hadn’t meant to scare her away. In addition to the struggles of hunting for his own food, the loneliness was setting back in. But he kept his promise. No matter how badly Oliver wanted to search for her, he didn’t go into the water.  

Surprised by how much he missed Felicity, despite them having never actually met, Oliver visited the beach often in a vain attempt to still feel connected to her.  It was during a walk late one night that Oliver’s world was righted while simultaneously being turned upside down. He hadn’t been close to the main beach. He’d traveled farther down to a part of the cove that came right up to the woods. Instead of sand, the ground was covered in tiny stones. The silver light of the full moon made them look like they were glowing. But the natural view wasn’t what initially took his breath away.

There, on the rocky shore, sat a beautiful mermaid in all her glory. She had long, wavy blond hair that had mostly dried. Her skin was fair like porcelain. The defined but delicate features of her face captivated him. She looked young—probably in her late teens.  Oliver couldn’t see the exact color of her eyes, but they were light. Blue was his guess. Her nose was small, and her cheeks were flushed. When her lips parted, Oliver noticed them painted a rich pink.

Oliver didn’t stop there. He couldn’t. His eyes traveled the length of her body and lingered on the cleavage peeking out over the tops of her shell bra. Her waist was toned and curvy, leading into a long tail. The scales were multi-faceted shades of pink and glistened from the reflected moonlight. Her fins were wide but compact and remained partially in the water.

“Felicity?” Oliver murmured in disbelief.

“Hi, Oliver.” Her voice was just as he’d imagined it–soft and melodic. “Surprise…” Felicity seemed nervous, waiting for his reaction. She bit her lip and fiddled with her hands in her lap.

“You’re…stunning,” he breathed and meant it.

Felicity was the most beautiful woman—creature?—he’d ever seen. Oliver probably should’ve been scared right then and regretted such a thought. He was face to face with a mermaid, for crying out loud. Nothing like this was supposed to exist in the real world. But he wasn’t scared or ashamed. In fact, Oliver was calm because Felicity looked just as curious and amazed by him.

Blushing, she replied, “Thank you.”

A charged silence passed between them.

She must’ve mistaken his silence for apprehension because she added, “If this is too much and you’ve changed your mind, I can go. I won’t bother you again.” She seemed sad by the prospect but resolute.

“No!” Oliver exclaimed. In the still night, it came out like a shout. She flinched, and he quickly apologized. “No. Please stay. I just want to talk. I have so many questions.”

“I know you do. I might not be able to answer them all.” She revealed, “I’m really not even supposed to be here.”

“You’re not?” She shook her head. “Then why did you come back?”

Her eyes roamed his face. “Because I wanted to make sure you were okay. And I…I missed you,” she admitted somewhat shyly.

Oliver wasn’t exactly sure what she could’ve missed about him considering she’d been more helpful to him than he’d been to her. But the sentiment seemed genuine, and he was filled with a surge of warmth in his chest. Motioning to the ground beside her, Oliver took a seat when she nodded.  He kept a couple of feet of distance between them. This situation was new to both of them, and they were still trying to assess the other.  

“How are you real?” Oliver questioned and immediately wanted to kick himself.

Thankfully, Felicity wasn’t offended. She simply smiled and said, “I’m sure you’ve heard many of the legends. Mermaids have been around for over 4,000 years. But unlike humans, we like to keep a low profile. The vast majority of the ocean has remained unexplored by your kind, and we take advantage of that.”

“How are you able to speak and write in English?”

“Just because we are not of your world, doesn’t mean we don’t know of its ways. We try to learn as much as we can so that we can peacefully coexist. If we ever are in danger of being discovered, then it helps to be able to blend in.”

Oliver became more confused. “So you are able to go on land? Because I thought you said you couldn’t walk.”

“It’s complicated.” She didn’t elaborate, and so Oliver let it go.“Why were you on that boat?”

Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Oliver said, “My dad and I were taking a weekend sailing trip. We didn’t expect the storm.” He hesitated, debating whether to ask the question on the tip of his tongue. Although he needed answers, he also dreaded them.

Felicity was watching him intently. “You want to know if there’s a chance your father and the others survived.” He was a little surprised that she’d been able to read him so easily but nodded. “I’m so sorry, Oliver.”

It was all she had to say.  Glancing away from her, Oliver stared out at the gentle waves breaking along the shore. The ocean was calm now, but he wasn’t fooled. He’d experienced firsthand its vindictive fury. Somewhere in the dark depths his father’s body was lost. Oliver wasn’t religious, but this one time he prayed that Robert Queen’s soul had gone on to a better place.

The pair sat quietly for a few minutes. When he felt Felicity’s fingers graze his own, Oliver startled. Thinking he was repulsed by her touch, she began to pull back. Oliver swiftly grabbed hold of her hand and firmly kept it in his grasp. The human (or half-human) contact was a welcomed shock to his system. He hadn’t just been starving for food. Oliver had been starving for touch and comfort in its most basic form.

“Thank you for saving me,” he told her, holding her gaze. “I’m still not entirely sure why you took such a risk, but I appreciate it.”

“You probably would’ve done the same if you’d seen someone in trouble.”

Oliver didn’t have the heart to tell Felicity that he was a spoiled, selfish brat on a good day and probably wouldn’t have taken the risk if it came down to himself or someone else. For his father, yes. But for a random stranger? Probably not. And unlike Felicity, Oliver wouldn’t have had as much to lose.

Felicity had taken a huge chance in revealing herself to him, especially since she alluded to the fact that it was forbidden. Yet, there she sat holding his hand and giving him the benefit of the doubt. She was either a really compassionate person or some kind of super siren working to build his trust so she could suck out his soul when he least expected it. He assumed it was the first option but…

Oliver suddenly asked, “Do you like to sing?

Felicity frowned. “What?”

“Singing is something mermaids love to do, right? That’s how they used to lure sailors to their deaths. Sirens they were called. Are you one of those or just a mermaid? Is there a difference?” he rushed out.

“No, not all mermaids like to sing. And if I was a bloodthirsty siren, I totally would’ve seduced you already and given you the kiss of death.” Felicity gave him a serious look, and Oliver’s breath got stuck in his throat. Slowly, the corner of Felicity’s mouth quirked up and she smiled in amusement. “I’m kidding, Oliver.”

It took a second for the joke to register, and he let out a sigh of relief. “Very funny,” Oliver grumbled.

“I can sing, but I’m not that great at it. Even if I was, the whole singing siren thing is a myth.” Felicity squeezed his hand. “You’re safe with me. I promise.”

Despite how unthinkable the entire situation was, Oliver found that he actually believed her. Felicity had gone out of her way to save him from drowning during the storm and given him food when he was hungry. If she’d harbored any ill will towards him, she would’ve carried through on it by now.

Oliver looked down and studied her intently. Having moved closer, he noticed that Felicity had a much smaller frame than him. If she could actually stand up with her tail, she’d probably be almost a foot shorter. Her eyes were definitely blue, though it was difficult to determine their exact shade in the night. Regardless of the darkness that surrounded them, Felicity’s smile was as warm and dazzling as the sun. It actually made Oliver wonder what she would look like in the light of day. There was still a prominent part of him that thought this moment was a figment of his imagination and he’d wake up tomorrow to find her gone.

“Can I see you again in the morning? Maybe we can have breakfast together,” Oliver suggested. “I’ll bring the squirrel and berries if you bring the fish.”

Felicity’s nose scrunched up in an adorable scowl. “Squirrel? Is that what you’ve been eating while I was gone?”

“Unfortunately.” Killing and cooking it had been disgusting enough, but the memory of the horrible taste still made him shudder.  

“Gross! No more of that,” Felicity declared with a resolute shake of her head. “Although I would like some berries. But you have to be careful of the poisonous ones.”

“I’m still here, aren’t I?” he teased, chuckling under his breath when she playfully nudged him with her shoulder.

Grinning, they stared at each other in comfortable silence a little longer. Without even realizing what he was doing, Oliver’s thumb began to run along the top of her hand. Felicity, her cheeks almost matching her tail, was the first to look away.  

“I should go,” she abruptly announced. “I need to get some rest if I’m going to journey back so early.”

“Is your, um,”—he struggled for the right word—“cave—er, home not nearby?”

“No, it’s not.  Which is probably a good thing,” she added as an afterthought. She released his hand, and Oliver felt the loss instantly.

“Felicity, can I ask you one more question?”

“Was that it?” she teased him.

Who knew that mermaids could be snarky? “No,” Oliver chuckled. “When you were gone, I didn’t understand why you told me not to go in the water.  Were you afraid I’d almost drown again? Was that the danger?”

Felicity hesitated before shaking her head. “No. It’s difficult to explain, but all I can say is that not every creature in these depths is as friendly as me.” She raised her hand to his cheek, her touch a gentle whisper against his skin. “You need to be careful, Oliver, especially when I’m not around.”

It was more than concern he saw in Felicity’s eyes.  It was genuine fear. Once again, Oliver listened to his instincts and decided to trust her.  He stayed in his spot on the beach as Felicity eased herself into the water.  She dove under, producing a soft splash. When she was farther out, she gave him a small wave before disappearing beneath the surface.

Their meeting that night turned into the first of many.  Almost every day in the months that followed, Felicity would come to visit Oliver. She would stay on the beach, and they would talk as he worked on his fire pits. Felicity was actually very intelligent and gave him some great advice on how to structure the pit and position the wood so it would burn most effectively. Her knowledge was surprising since mermaids didn’t have fire for obvious reasons. When he asked her about it, she simply shrugged and said that she was known amongst her people for making clever contraptions. Her answer still didn’t address the intent of Oliver’s question, but he didn’t push the subject.  

Sometimes it was difficult to tear his eyes away from her and concentrate. Felicity often laid on her stomach in the sand with her magnificent tail poking out of the surf. Her golden locks would dry in the sun and cascade down her back in shining waves. When Felicity rested up on her elbows, it pushed her breasts together and made them spill over the tops of her shell coverings. Oliver, despite telling himself that he and Felicity were just friends (not to mention different species), felt a different kind of hunger flare within him then. Felicity, the innocent creature that she was, didn’t seem to notice the heat that was slowly starting to consume him.

One day, Oliver had taken the opportunity to ask Felicity if many ships passed by the area, and she’d told him no. He supposed it made sense, since mermaids like Felicity preferred isolated areas. Not wanting to hurt her feelings, because spending time with her really was the best part of his day, Oliver tried not to show his disappointment. When he asked if she ever left the area on her own and ventured out into the ocean, she told him that she couldn’t. It was yet another restriction. Regardless of her nonchalant tone, Oliver saw the anguish swimming in her pretty blue eyes. It seemed she was stranded just like him.

The blond beauty also had many questions of her own. Felicity wanted to know anything and everything about Oliver’s life back home. He told her about growing up in Starling City with his family and the pressure of living in the shadow of the Queen legacy. Oliver considered glossing over some of his wilder misadventures and brushes with the law but found that he didn’t want to lie to Felicity. They were friends, and she deserved better than that. She simply listened in rapt silence, taking it all in without judgment.

At first, Oliver had been wary to talk about his life. Seeing as though his chances of ever returning home were very slim, he thought it would do more harm than good to reflect on it. It turned out the opposite was true. Remembering the life still waiting for him back home, Oliver felt an even stronger need to survive and return to his mother and Thea. They must’ve been devastated when they found out about the Gambit, and Oliver wanted nothing more than to take their pain away.

Felicity, conversely, was much more guarded about certain aspects of her life. He’d learned that she was eighteen, four years younger than him, and lived in a small mer- village. She had a mother who she was close to but never actually knew her father.  When Oliver had asked if she’d ever stayed on land for an extended period of time—because how else would she or her people know so much about humans?—she’d dodged the question. Topics that weren’t so loaded, like the time she’d set a fish trap to get back at a bully who’d made fun of her friend, she tended to babble on and on about.

The day their friendship had turned into something more, the pair had been in the cove. The weather had gotten significantly warmer, and Felicity was trying to teach Oliver the patience and agility of spear fishing. They’d never spoken of the danger she feared, but Oliver got the feeling she wanted him to be able to fend for himself if she needed to disappear again.  Despite his unease with the ocean, Oliver felt perfectly safe with Felicity.  It also didn’t hurt that she looked sexy as hell with her hair plastered to her body and water droplets clinging to her creamy skin.  

After finally making his catches, Oliver had asked if she could take him outside of the cove. So much of their time was spent on land and, for once, Oliver wanted to see Felicity completely immersed in her own element.  With a beaming smile, she’d agreed and taken his hand. Felicity guided him into slightly deeper water. Although she could probably swim at least five times faster than him, she slowed her pace to match his. When she told him to hold his breath, Oliver did as instructed and let her tug him under the surface.

To say that Oliver was mesmerized watching her was an understatement. Felicity looked like a floating angel as she glided through the water. The way her entire body undulated with each movement made it easy to see how she was so fit. She gave Oliver a tour of the ocean floor without taking him down too far. He couldn’t hold his breath for that long and the pressure would’ve been too much for him.  Taking in all of the intricate rock formations, colored corals, and various species of fish, Oliver had to admit that it looked like a completely different world.  Felicity was grinning from ear to ear watching him, and Oliver knew he wore a similar expression.

Eventually, they returned to the cove and sat on the rocks to watch the sunset.  The sky was a mixed palette of yellow, orange, pink, and purple.  As breathtaking as it was, Oliver found his gaze wandering to Felicity. She’d closed her eyes and was letting the last remnants of the sun’s rays warm her skin. They were so close that he actually noticed the small smattering of freckles on her nose.

As if sensing the intensity of his stare, Felicity opened her eyes and turned towards him.  “Why are you looking at me like that?” she whispered, her voice quavering ever so slightly.

“Because you’re beautiful, Felicity.”

“I am?”

Her uncertainty gutted him, and Oliver lifted his hand to her face. He stroked her cheek and her breath hitched, but Felicity didn’t pull away. “Yes.”

“Even my…” she trailed off and nodded down to her tail.

“All of you,” Oliver replied and slid his hand along Felicity’s neck and shoulder. With his other hand, he let his fingers graze the curve of her waist. Felicity shivered and leaned into his touch. He stopped just above her tail. “Can I touch you?” It had been something Oliver wanted to do for a while now, but he didn’t want to offend her or make her uncomfortable before.

Felicity swallowed hard and nodded, tugging her lip between her teeth.  When Oliver finally placed his hand on the upper thigh of her tail, she moaned softly but deeply in her throat. Her response ignited the fire in his veins further, and he splayed his hand on her fully. Felicity’s scales were smooth and slick against Oliver’s palm, making it easy to stroke her.  

A moment later, she let out a shaky breath and tentatively placed her hands on his chest.  Oliver grumbled lowly at the contact and the way Felicity started to run her fingers along his torso. She traced every line of muscle and paid special attention to the scars he’d acquired from his first months on the island lumbering carelessly through the woods.  Their foreheads touched as they explored each other, their mingling exhales turning into low pants.  

Felicity wrapped her arms around Oliver’s shoulders as he gripped her tail to bring her flush against him. When the exposed parts of her torso hit his bare flesh, Oliver nearly lost it. His muscles rippled at the contact, and their noses brushed together.

“Felicity,” Oliver murmured huskily. It felt like electricity was shooting through his body when she started running her fingers through his hair.  He did the same to her, loving the way the thick, wavy strands filled his entire hand.

“Oliver,” Felicity breathily replied, “kiss me.”

It was all the encouragement Oliver needed before he swooped in to claim her lips.  Felicity gasped against his mouth, and he swallowed her moans.  Tilting her head to the side, Felicity opened her mouth and allowed him to deepen the kiss. His tongue flicked against her bottom lip, tasting the salt from the ocean. When Oliver delved inside, stroking and teasing her tongue, he groaned at discovering the sweet taste that was all her. It didn’t take long for the pair to lose themselves in each other. 

The unbridled need and passion were sensations Oliver had never felt before.  No matter how tightly Oliver clutched Felicity, she still wasn’t close enough.  He devoured her lips as she clawed at his back. Her nails penetrating his skin sent a jolt of heat straight to his groin. Eventually, Oliver pulled her entirely onto his lap and buried his face in her neck. He licked the tangy salt off of her skin before sucking on her pulse point.  Felicity threw her head back and muttered his name, encouraging him to continue.  

After kissing every exposed inch of her flesh, Oliver felt Felicity tug on his hair to bring his lips back to hers. This time, he slowed the kiss down and focused on making her feel special. Oliver held Felicity’s face gently in his hands and tenderly nipped at her lips. She sighed into his mouth and returned every affectionate swipe. Only when they were both desperate for air did they finally break the kiss. Neither one made a move to pull away fully and continued to cling to the other.

“Wow,” Felicity muttered.

Oliver rested his forehead against hers, staring into her bright blue eyes. “Yeah.”

“That was, um,’’—she bit her lip, and Oliver had to resist taking hold of it himself again—“my first kiss,” she coyly admitted.

Oliver had suspected as much.  Felicity was a great kisser, but she was young and he’d sensed her timidity at times. She’d mostly let him guide her—not that he minded. Oliver loved that she put that trust in him.  

He kissed the tip of Felicity’s nose, making her smile. “Believe me, it won’t be the last…”


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Here is Part 2. Let me know what you think! Also, this fic is rated teen and up but please note that it will progress to mature.**

****  


A shiver wracked Oliver’s body, rippling through his muscles like a cresting wave and causing him to tremble in its wake. It could’ve been the cool night air or the surf breaking against him on the beach. But the truth was in the beautiful blonde creature currently lying beneath him and kissing him senseless.

Felicity was wrapped as tightly around him as possible, and he held her back just as fiercely. They laid half in the ocean and half in the sand. Oliver had lost track of time, nothing but Felicity filling his senses. She felt soft and warm in his arms despite the coldness of the water. Being submerged for so long, Oliver would’ve been shivering far sooner without her otherwise.

“Oliver,” she sighed against his lips.

His hand caressed down the center of her spine. When his fingers drifted lower to her tail, the moan she let out was deep and guttural. Oliver had noticed that she was very sensitive to his touch when it concerned that particular part of her anatomy. The scales were velvety and slick beneath his fingers. He cupped her backside and pressed her harder against him. She gasped at the feeling of how much he wanted her but didn’t pull away. Felicity’s hand wound into his damp hair to keep him close to her wanton lips. Her taste was a combination of sweet and salty, the berries they’d had for dinner mixing with the sprays of ocean water.

“Oliver,” she panted, “I have to go.”

He buried his face in her neck and she arched into him. “Why?”

“Because I have to return home.” The regret was evident in her voice.

“Don’t go,” he pleaded. “Stay.”

“I can’t leave the water.”

“Then neither will I.” He sucked on her pulse point, and her fingers curled into the muscles of his back.

“You can’t. You’ll freeze,” Felicity protested.

He drew back just enough to stare down at her. “I have you to keep me warm.”

She smiled, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “That’s sweet. But—”

“But you have to leave,” Oliver finished. “Because it’s not safe.”  He’d heard that excuse every night for the last two weeks.

She nodded solemnly.

“Felicity, what is it? You keep hinting at some kind of danger and yet you won’t tell me.” Oliver brought his hand to her cheek and caressed it. “Maybe I can help.”

“You can’t,” Felicity sullenly replied.

He argued, “You don’t know that.”

“I do know that,” she reinforced. “And I would never forgive myself if I let something happen to you. If you got hurt because of me…” Her hand covered his.

“Have you ever…” Oliver paused and considered his next words carefully. “Have you ever thought about staying on land? If there’s some unknown danger lurking in the water, maybe you need to be out of it for a while.” His thumb traced the underside of her jaw as he worked up the nerve to ask the question that had been on the tip of his tongue for months now. “Felicity, are you able to survive on land?”

The last few times he’d asked her this, she’d dodged him. But he couldn’t let it go so easily now. He was already in too deep with her. “Felicity, how is this going to work between us? Can it work?” He gently placed a hand on her tail. “Can we ever completely be together?”

“You mean physically,” she murmured.

Oliver searched her eyes and saw the conflict. “I’ve thought about it a lot.” He glanced at their intertwined bodies. “Especially lately.”

They’d grown even closer since their first kiss. Not that Oliver was expecting anything from Felicity, but it was only natural that he questioned how they could be intimate. She was younger and inexperienced, and he’d never want to pressure her into anything she wasn’t ready for. But the predicament they’d found themselves in was unprecedented—as far as he knew, at least. She was a mermaid, and he was a human. Their anatomies weren’t completely different but the difference did matter. They had to be able to meet somewhere in between, and Oliver would be lying if he didn’t admit the new experience—whatever it would be—wasn’t a little intimidating.  Maybe the reason Felicity never wanted to talk about it before was because she felt the same way.

“If I said we can’t, is that it?” Felicity whispered.

“No,” he reassured her and meant it. “I don’t care if you’re different. I care about you. Whatever this is between us, it’s not just physical. But I need to know what is and isn’t possible because…Felicity, I sense there is a lot you’re not telling me. Can you understand that?”

She pulled away from him and lay back in the sand, looking up at the night sky. He felt the loss of her touch instantly and worried that he’d upset her. He couldn’t lose her. Felicity was all he had on this godforsaken island, and yet Oliver knew it was more than that. He’d be devastated for other reasons if she left.

“It’s possible,” she finally murmured.

“What is?” he gently pressed, feeling the tiny seed of hope budding within him.

“All of it.” Felicity turned her head to meet his gaze. “But there are consequences. Consequences I’m not sure either of us can afford right now.”

“Tell me.”

Felicity shifted onto her side and stared at him. He stared back, as well. Her hair was fanned out around her—golden, thick, and wavy.  The light of the moon glowed against her creamy skin and made the pinkness of her tail gleam brilliantly. The tops of her breasts spilled out over her bra and shimmered from the water. Her parted lips were colored and plump from all of his kisses. Taking all of Felicity in, Oliver was once again struck by how beautiful she was. If she actually was a siren, he knew he’d already be under her spell and would gladly follow her into the murky depths at his own peril. 

She opened her mouth to speak when suddenly her head snapped to face the vast ocean. Her eyes were alert and her body taut. “Oh no,” she whispered.

Just as alarmed, and wanting to regain her attention, Oliver called to her, “Felicity, what is it?”

“Oh no,” she repeated and sat up. “He’s found me. He’s here.”

“Who’s here?” Oliver demanded and looked out at the water. He couldn’t see anything but waves rolling in and then retreating. Past that, the ocean looked calm.

“Frack,” she cursed and turned to him. “Oliver, get out of the water.”

“What?”

“Get out of the water!” she exclaimed. “Get out and get away from the shore! _Right now!_ ”

“Felicity, what is going on?” Oliver demanded, making no move to leave her.

Panicked, her head whipped between him and the ocean. She was almost crying. “He’ll kill you. _Now get out!_ ” she screamed.

It was then that Oliver saw something ripping through the surf in the distance. He squinted, thinking he saw the top of a fin. The water broke around it in giant waves. Whatever it was, it was huge.

“ _Oliver_ ,” Felicity shouted to get his attention. She pushed violently at his chest. “Go now! Please!”

“What about you?”

“Don’t worry about me. Just go!” she begged.

Oliver was already shaking his head. “No.”

“You have to!”

“No! I don’t know what the hell that is, but I am not leaving you to face it alone. In fact, you’re coming with me.” Oliver was up in an instant.

Before she could protest further, he’d gripped Felicity under the arms and started hauling her onto the beach with him. She shouted at him, but he didn’t listen. He knew she was fast, but there was no way she’d be able to out swim that thing. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as he quickly dragged her weight and got them both away from the water. They were high up on the beach, near the trees, when the creature finally revealed itself.

It sprang forth from the water, and it was the most terrifying thing Oliver had ever seen. If Jaws had an older brother, this creature would it be it. The gigantic bluish-gray shark had to be about the size of the Gambit. Its mouth was wide and stretched open to bare its razor-sharp teeth. The shark’s torso was a light brown, almost tan, with defined muscles resembling actual abs. What had to be most horrifying, beyond the mouthful of teeth and chiseled muscles, were the arms protruding from its body where the fins should be. The pair of limbs were bulky with bulging biceps. The elbows were pointed, and the hands like webbed claws.

Oliver gawked at it in a terrified daze, perturbed by the shark’s unnatural disfigurement. His horror increased tenfold when the shark landed on the beach and started crawling towards them. Acting fast, Oliver reached for Felicity once again. He swept her up into his arms and ran for the trees. The creature dragged itself up the shore, snapping its large snout, at a rapid pace. It growled, and the viciously horrid sound made Oliver’s hair stand on end. Thankfully, it couldn’t make its way into the trees. Its arms could only carry it so far before the giant tail presented an obstacle.

“What the hell is that thing?” Oliver exclaimed. “How can a shark have arms and come on land?” He looked to Felicity for answers but only found more questions.

It didn’t get much more unreal or surprising than a giant, crawling shark. And yet, he was stunned to see a transformed Felicity in his arms. The pink tail and scales he’d grown accustomed to had disappeared and been replaced by a pair of human legs. Oliver’s eyes glossed over them, a mixture of fascination and wonderment, before realizing that she was also completely naked from the waist down. A patch of dark blond curls peeked out from the juncture of her thighs, and he did a double take.

“Oh,” he breathed.

Felicity realized it at the same time and quickly let go of him. She rushed to cover herself, and he let go of her when she wriggled from his embrace. With more speed than he would’ve anticipated from her in her new form, she darted behind a tree. Oliver remained where he was, frozen, while trying to process this new development.

Eventually, he found his voice. “Felicity,” he tentatively called.

She was mumbling to herself from behind the tree. Seconds later, he heard a sniffle. Was she crying? He repeated her name and moved toward her. A twig snapped under his foot, and he heard her startle.

“Oliver, don’t.” Her voice was low and muddled.

His first thought was that she was embarrassed. But he knew it had to be more than that. They’d nearly been attacked by a gigantic, mutated shark. And their talk moments before, when Felicity had said it was possible for them to be together, had just been confirmed. They still had a lot more to discuss, obviously, but there was something else Oliver had to take care of first.

He glanced through the trees at the beach. The shark was no longer on the sand, but Oliver did see the fin peeking out from the water as it circled like a hungry predator. Tentatively, Oliver stepped onto the edge of the sand. He darted out toward the fire pit and grabbed a long, flaming branch. He also snatched his discarded shirt from earlier off of the ground and ran back into the trees before the shark’s snout and beady eyes totally broke the surface.

“Felicity,” Oliver gently called to her once more. He stayed where he was while holding the shirt out and around the tree. “Here, take this.”

She sniffled again but took it. Another couple of minutes passed before Felicity finally revealed herself.

Because of their difference in size, his shirt covered most of her much smaller frame. It ended just above her knees. Now that she was fully in front of him, Oliver couldn’t help but gawk at her legs once again. Maybe it was due to the shock, but he couldn’t help thinking they were the most beautiful legs he’d ever seen. They were smooth, shapely, and matched her fair, sun-kissed skin.

Felicity fidgeted and murmured, “Thank you.” Her voice was soft and hesitant. It took a few seconds for Oliver to realize he’d said his thoughts out loud.

He approached her cautiously, as if she were a skittish animal that would bolt with any sudden movements. Thankfully, Felicity didn’t run from him this time. They stood across from each other, with only a couple of inches between them, and stared. The warm, yellow-orange glow from the makeshift torch illuminated her face. Oliver saw the struggle playing out within her. She looked him over, as if searching for injuries he might’ve gotten in their escape. There was relief but also trepidation. The fear he saw reflecting back at him was like a punch in the gut.

“Felicity.” His plea was barely above a whisper, but he hoped she heard the tenderness.

Slowly, Oliver stuck the torch in the ground and closed the gap between them. He noticed instantly how much smaller she was. Felicity just barely reached his chest. He cupped her small face in his hands and rubbed his thumbs along her cheeks. He cleared away the wet streaks even as a few more tears fell. Then he leaned in and kissed her. Felicity was a little stiff at first, but eventually she relaxed into him. Oliver wrapped an arm around her waist and held her to him.

“Are you okay?” he questioned afterward. “Did I hurt you when I dragged you?”

She shook her head. “No, I’m fine. Are you okay?”

“Yes.” He breathed her in, a mixture of sea salt and some kind of sweetness that was all her. “Mostly I’m just confused. And probably a little stunned.”

“I know,” Felicity dejectedly mumbled. She looked past him toward the beach. “I can’t return to the water tonight. He’s still out there.”

Oliver’s grip reflexively tightened on her. “Felicity, you’re staying with me tonight.” His tone suggested that even if there wasn’t a crazy killer shark in the water, he still wouldn’t let her go.

“I imagine you have a lot of questions.”

He sneaked another peek at her legs. “A few,” he replied with a teasing quirk of his lips. She smiled back, but it was strained. “Don’t be frightened. You’ll be safe with me.”

“I’m not afraid of that. It’s not my first time on land,” Felicity told him.

Oliver felt a slight tremble running through her. “Then what’s the matter?”

She glanced down, unable to meet his gaze, and said so low he had to strain to hear her, “I’m afraid you’re going to hate me.”

“What?” he retorted, bewildered. “Felicity, I could never hate you.”

“You say that now, but that might change after we talk.”

He placed a finger under her chin and raised her head, so she was looking at him. “I could never hate you,” he stressed. “You saved my life in the water, and you’ve helped me survive here even at your own risk. Not to mention, I probably would’ve been so lonely on this island I’d have gone mad if it weren’t for you.” He caressed her face and said, “I owe a lot to you.”

“You would’ve done the same,” she murmured.

Oliver shook his head. “I don’t know. You didn’t know the old me. He was a selfish, conceited jerk.”

Felicity stared at him quietly, taking him in. “Then I guess it’s a good thing he’s gone. Because that man who refused to leave me on the beach and pulled me to safety just now, he was nothing short of a hero.”

Her declaration made an indescribable warmth blossom in Oliver’s chest. No one had ever thought so highly of him. The way she looked at him, it was as if he’d hung the moon and the stars. Oliver kissed her deeply.

“I’d never let anything hurt you.” She shivered against him—whether from his words or the rapidly dropping temperature, he wasn’t sure. But he liked to think it was the former. “Come on. I’ll show you where I make camp.”

Felicity nodded and waited for him to grab the torch. They only took a few steps when Oliver paused. He looked down at the uneven ground and all of the vegetation, then at Felicity’s bare feet.

“It’s probably best if I carry you, since you don’t have any shoes. I don’t want you to step on something in the dark. Is that all right?”

She blushed the most beautiful shade of pink, which was pretty similar to her tail, and bobbed her head shyly. “Okay.”

Oliver handed her the torch to hold before gently hoisting her up into his arms. He made sure that the hem of his shirt still covered her before he headed in the direction of his camp. Felicity clung to him tightly, all the while biting nervously at her lower lip. He left her to her thoughts. They would talk soon enough.

When they reached the spot, Oliver gently set Felicity down and used the lit torch to reignite the fire pit. She glanced around, observing their surroundings. Oliver, meanwhile, ducked into the makeshift tent and grabbed the small blanket that had been in the emergency survival kit. He handed it to Felicity and guided her to sit while he got more wood for the fire. He suspected they would be talking for a while and didn’t want to chance it going out in the middle of their conversation. Felicity laid the blanket on her lap and warmed her hands by the fire as she waited for him. Once Oliver was satisfied with the large, crackling flames, he sat down beside her.

“So…” he trailed off.

“So…” Felicity nervously repeated.

“You have legs,” Oliver stated the obvious.

Felicity fiddled with her hands. “I do.”

“And there’s apparently a giant mutant shark after you.”

“That’s a little more complicated but yes.”

He suggested, “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”

She sighed and twirled a blond curl around her finger. “I told you that I live in a small mer-village with my mom. What I didn’t tell you was how I knew so much about humans. As you can see, we have the ability to walk on land. When our tails become dry, our legs form.

“We reside mostly in the sea, but there are those of us who venture on land. And they pass on the knowledge of the human world to the rest of us. There’s, um, actually an island that many of us travel to. It’s small and hidden, so we’re safe there. That’s where many merpeople meet to interact and learn. I grew up there before my mother relocated us to the village we live in now.”

“Why did she decide to move?”

“I liked living on land a little too much. I’ve always loved to learn and wanted to explore other places. She worried that the teachers there were encouraging me to venture off on my own. I’m all she has, and so she thought it best that we stay deep in the ocean in our true forms,” she explained.

“But you didn’t always follow her rules,” Oliver pointed out with a knowing smirk.

Felicity grinned. “No. I can be stubborn, and my curiosity often gets away from me.”

He turned more serious. “But if it’s possible for you to come on land, then why haven’t you done so until now? What exactly are the consequences you spoke of earlier?”

She didn’t miss the underlying meaning. Her expression turned pensive before she spoke up, “Think of my tail like you would your legs. What happens if you don’t use certain muscles?”

Oliver shrugged. “I don’t know. They…become weaker.”

She smiled, pleased by his answer. “Exactly. It’s just like that. The longer we are on land, the more difficult it is for us to transition back to our true form. Our tails allow us to be mobile, but it still takes time to regain our full strength.”

“Does any water make your tail form? Would it come back if it rained? Would it never come back if you were away from the ocean for too long?” he fired off questions.

“A light rain shower wouldn’t trigger it. It has to be a significant amount of water,” Felicity answered. “And we never lose our true form. It only lays dormant.”  Her crystal blue eyes, the depths so fiery and intense, bore into him as she admitted, “I worried that if I revealed my legs to you, you’d want me to be on land all the time. And the more time I spent on land, the more tempted I’d be to stay here…with you.” She quickly added, “I can’t afford to lose my strength right now. I need my speed.”

“Because of that crazy shark,” he surmised.

“Yes,” she confirmed.

“Felicity, where the hell did that thing come from? It certainly wasn’t natural.”

The blonde shuddered at the thought. “We call him King Shark. We don’t know where he came from or how he became so disfigured. Rumor has it he was trapped in a secret government testing facility and escaped. He’s very intelligent, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was a byproduct of their experiments. He’s also territorial, and he’s been terrorizing this part of the ocean for that last two years. He eats most of our food supply, which makes it even more difficult for us to hunt. If anyone from our village or the ones neighboring it try to escape, he hunts them down and kills them,” Felicity explained. “And then sometimes…well, sometimes he’ll kill someone just for sport. As a warning.”

Oliver was thoughtful as the conclusion unfolded in his mind. His worry increased. “You said that you weren’t supposed to be here, and I had assumed it was because you weren’t supposed to interact with humans. But it was because of King Shark, wasn’t it?

“Yes. The first time I wandered away was the night your boat sank. I had avoided King Shark and sneaked off. Then I saw the Gambit and was curious. But…he saw it, too.”

His mouth went dry. “Felicity, are you saying King Shark is the reason our yacht sank?”

Felicity solemnly nodded. “I saw him take a chunk out of the middle, and then it started splitting in two against the violent waves.”

“My father…was he…did that thing…” Oliver could barely get the words out. He felt sick.

“I don’t know. I saw King Shark attack a couple members of the crew. You were sinking farther away. There was only a small window of time before he noticed you, too. So, I grabbed you and put you in the life raft one of the crew members had inflated. Then I swam as fast as I could, pushing you toward this island. King Shark rarely comes over here, because he knows it’s isolated and uninhabited. Not much to terrorize. But I’ve still feared him coming here and noticing you in the water.”

“And yet you swam here almost every day to check on me. You gave me fish even though your supply is low,” he realized. “You did this all at your own risk.” It was better to focus on Felicity than that hellish creature. The anger was threatening to take over, and Oliver just couldn’t fully process that right now. Not when they’d been so close to danger yet again.

“I did.” Felicity held his gaze as the flush colored her cheeks. “There was just something about you,” she admitted.

Awed by her selflessness, Oliver reached for her then and was surprised when she drew back.

“I have more to say,” the blonde declared. “And you probably won’t want to even look at me, let alone touch me, after I tell you.”

“Say what you have to,” he told her, “but I doubt there is anything that would turn me away from you now.”

Felicity took a deep breath as she gathered her thoughts. “You think me a hero and while it’s true that I did rescue you, the truth is I could’ve done more.”

The nervous, frightened expression on her face made Oliver desperate to touch and comfort her. But he held back as she’d asked, not wanting to cause her more anxiety. “What do you mean?”

“I’ve discovered a way to leave my village without King Shark being able to detect me. If I could find a way here to you, then I could’ve found a way to get to the mainland. You know now that I have legs and am familiar with the human world. It would’ve been so easy for me to find a captain with a boat and send him in your direction.” Her voice had begun to tremble, along with her hands. “What I’m saying—or trying to say—is you didn’t have to remain on this island all these months, Oliver. I could’ve sent someone to rescue you and take you back home to be with your family. You would’ve been away from here and none the wiser to this threat. You would’ve never known me, but you’d have been safe.”

Felicity took a shaky breath as the tears started spilling from her eyes. “I was selfish. You were the most handsome man I’d ever seen, and you fascinated me. You were proof that the outside world does exist, and I so badly wanted that connection. All my life I’ve been sheltered and forced to hide. I was so tired and frustrated!

“I wanted to know you and for you to eventually know me. It was my only chance with you, and I was wrong to take it. You’re more wonderful than I ever could’ve dreamed, and I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that I betrayed your trust and put you in danger. It’s unforgivable,” she lamented. Covering her face with her hands, Felicity began to cry in earnest.

Oliver sat there in silence, stunned by her confession. So many emotions whirled inside of him—a combination of confusion, fury, and sadness.  There were countless nights Oliver had lay alone under the stars or in his tent feeling an overwhelming sense of homesickness. He missed his mother and sister so much it hurt. He often wondered how they were coping without him and his father, or why this had to happen to his family. Oliver knew he should feel betrayed by Felicity’s confession on some level; his salvation was more within reach than he’d realized.

However, he didn’t resent Felicity for the choice she made. She was bearing the burden of a tragedy that was not of her making. She was as much a victim in this situation as him. Although Oliver regretted that he couldn’t be home, he also felt a profound sense of thankfulness. Despite everything that Oliver had endured, something amazing had unexpectedly been given to him out of this wreck. Something he never would’ve had otherwise. And that was Felicity.

Closing the gap between them, Oliver pried Felicity hands away from her face and forced her to look up at him. “You’re right, it is unforgivable. But that’s only because there’s nothing to forgive,” he reassured her.

Felicity’s eyes widened at his declaration, yet she remained uncharacteristically quiet. So he continued.

“Maybe you could’ve gotten help, but there was no guarantee that you’d have made it safely to the mainland without King Shark catching you. I still can’t even believe how much danger you’ve put yourself in every day just to be with me.” He stroked her cheek. “I’m so glad you gave me the chance to know you, Felicity. Because you’re amazing. And it’s not just because you’re this fantastical mermaid that I never in my wildest dreams would’ve thought existed. You’re kind and brave and genuine and I…” He hesitated, the words he could already feel etched on his heart now on the tip of his tongue. He so badly wanted to say them, but he also knew what it would mean afterward if he did. Needing more time to think on it, Oliver said instead, “I’m in awe of you.”

“Really?” she questioned timidly. “You are?”

Oliver captured her lips in a passionate kiss and pulled her flush against him. She whimpered into his mouth and threw her arms around his neck, clutching him tightly. When they finally broke apart, they were both breathless. “Are you sure you’re not a siren? Because you’ve got me completely under your spell,” he teased.

His fingers traced the perfect shape of her lips. It was a relief to see her beautiful smile again. The buoyant spark had also returned to her crystal blue eyes.

“You’re making me blush as pink as my tail,” she bashfully murmured.

“Good.” He kissed her once more. Unfortunately, the tender moment couldn’t last with the current threat pressing down on them. He then declared, “It’s my turn to protect you. You’ll stay here with me until it’s safe.” Oliver had already lost his father to that mutated monster, and he wasn’t going to lose Felicity, too.

Felicity looked like she wanted to protest. But when she glanced back toward the direction of the beach, she seemed resigned. “Okay. But only for a day or so. Eventually King Shark will leave to feed and see to the village.” She softly added, “My mother will be worried about me.”

Oliver hated the idea of her going back into the ocean with that creature roaming around but kept his mouth shut for the time being. Felicity had agreed to stay with him, and that’s all that mattered for now. He’d quietly try and figure out what their next move should be. There was no sense in worrying her further.

Glancing down at her legs, Oliver still couldn’t believe that she was there on land with him. He reached out a tentative hand and placed it on her thigh. His fingers caressed the smooth, soft flesh. Felicity’s blush deepened with each stroke.

“Do you…”  Felicity hesitated as her shyness seemed to return. “Do you like them—my legs, I mean?” She wiggled her toes for emphasis.

“I love them.” His voice took on a husky tone. “You’ve got gorgeous legs, Felicity.” It was the truth. Her legs were delicate and shapely, yet strong. He could feel the muscle beneath the softness. It was very difficult for Oliver to keep his mind from fantasizing about how they’d feel wrapped around his waist. Or how other parts of their anatomy could now fit perfectly together. He needed to calm down, since he couldn’t very well go take a dip in the cold ocean to get his body back under control.

Felicity’s pleased grin turned into a yawn. After all of the excitement this evening, her fatigue was starting to show. “You must be exhausted,” he stated. “You should get some rest.”

“I would like that very much.” She stifled another yawn. “Sorry, my tiredness crept up on me.”

“No need to be sorry. It’s been a long day.” He, rather reluctantly, released her legs and stood up. “I usually sleep in there.” He pointed to the tent he’d made of the raft while helping her to her feet. “It gets cold at night, but you have the blanket and can sleep in there.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“I can sleep out here.” He’d have to keep the fire going, since he’d neither have his shirt nor the blanket. It would be a cold night, but he’d gladly endure it to make sure Felicity was comfortable. It was the least he could do.

“Oliver, you’ll freeze,” she pointed out and frowned in disapproval. “We can certainly share the tent.”

“It’s small, so it’ll be snug.”

Felicity placed her hands on his chest and smiled endearingly at him. “It sounds kind of cozy, don’t you think?”

His mouth went dry. “It does.”

Standing on her tiptoes, she lightly kissed his lips. “It’s settled then. We’ll both sleep in the tent.” She was quick to add, “And since I’ve stolen your shirt, we’ll share the blanket, too. If that’s all right with you?”

“That’s fine,” he croaked.

There was amusement in her eyes. “Do you need to tend the fire first?”

A fire was burning all right, but not where she thought it was. He shook his head. “No. It’ll burn out eventually.” Not the one ignited by her touch, though; it was only getting started.

She smiled again, so bright and beautiful, before taking his hand. “Then let’s go to bed.”

He cleared his throat but no words came out, so he simply nodded. Did she know the double meaning her declaration held? Probably not. Felicity was smart but innocent in other ways. He’d been her first kiss, after all. Oliver wasn’t exactly sure how mermaids slept but, surely, she’d never lain with another man before. She wouldn’t know the implications it had.

They walked to the tent, and Oliver nearly groaned at the sight of Felicity on all fours as she ducked inside. His shirt barely hid the outline of her body, and he was given the most glorious view of her ass. It was full and round, making his fingers twinge with the urge to cup it. He’d thought her beautiful in her natural state, but her shape in human form was truly incredible. Oliver needed to seriously get a grip and hold back the fantasies.

The inside of the tent was dim, with only the faint glow from the fire outside seeping through. Felicity settled into a spot in the corner while he sealed up the entrance.

“It already feels warmer in here,” she commented.

That was all because of her, he was sure. Most nights Oliver felt a chill deep in his bones despite the shelter. He sat down beside her and opened the blanket to cover them. It wasn’t that big, and so Felicity moved closer to him.

“Is this okay?” she questioned while snuggling into his side.

It was better than okay. Oliver hesitated for a moment before sliding his arm beneath her and bringing her more securely into his side. Felicity hummed in approval, looking positively delighted by the gesture. It was going to be a long night with the knowledge that nothing but his shirt was preventing him from feeling every single naked inch of her silky skin against him.

“Are you comfortable?” His voice was low and deep.

“Very.” She slung her arm across his chest and whispered, “Are you?”

She was so small compared to him. It was like cuddling a warm kitten. His lips brushed the top of her head, earning him another contented sigh. Oliver answered truthfully, “It’s the most comfortable I’ve been since I got here.”

Felicity closed her eyes and smiled happily. “Goodnight, Oliver.”

He rested his other hand over hers and breathed into her hair, “Goodnight, Felicity.”

* * *

Waking up with Felicity sprawled across his chest and her legs tangled with his was the best feeling in the world, Oliver decided. It was the best night’s sleep, too, these last couple of days. He hadn’t realized how incomplete and isolated he’d really felt over these past months when they’d parted. Having Felicity on land with him opened up a new dynamic for their relationship.

It was his turn to show her the ropes of the island. He hunted while she helped to gather some of the edible berries for their meals. Oliver could tell Felicity didn’t care much for the bird and rabbit he’d caught, but she didn’t protest. It was too big a risk returning to the beach to try and fish, especially when she announced she could still feel King Shark’s presence lurking. She had an innate sixth sense for danger, which she explained was useful for diving into the darker, deeper depths of the ocean. There was no telling what kind of deadly creatures she could encounter. It was both fascinating and terrifying.

During the day, they’d explored the island further. Oliver mostly carried Felicity on his back. Even in the light, the terrain was too uneven and unpredictable for her uncovered feet to maneuver. Not that he minded her clinging to him while clutching her bare thighs around his waist.

They’d made a very interesting and useful discovery on the second day. The pair had come upon a small, abandoned plane. It looked years old and was split open in parts. Felicity had been hesitant to go in at first, worried that there might be remains of dead passengers. He’d found only the skeleton of the pilot in the cockpit and shut the door before calling Felicity inside.

There had been large, unmarked crates that they proceeded to open. One was filled with clothes. They were mostly dark and looked like uniforms. Oliver had reached for a green sweater with a hood. It seemed like it’d give him the most warmth and protection.

Felicity picked through the pile and discovered the pants were all men’s sizes and much too big for her. She did find a couple of long shirts, though she seemed hesitant to put one on. Watching her hesitation, Oliver got the feeling Felicity didn’t want to part with the shirt he’d given her. The thought sent a swell of pride and desire through him.

“This would actually be pretty good shelter,” Felicity had suggested. “You’d be much better protected.” Her hand had touched the wall and tested the sturdiness of the remaining metal structure.

“It would. But it’s too far from the beach,” Oliver had pointed out.

“That’s a good thing, I’d say.”

“Maybe, but then I couldn’t look out and see any passing ships to light the signal fire. Not that I expect many. I’ve yet to see one since I’ve been here. Still…” he’d trailed off, taking in her solemn expression. He’d realized his error a moment too late.

Felicity had briefly turned away from him. “You’re right. Best to stay near the shore.”

Oliver had reached for her shoulders and drew her against him. She’d tensed for a moment before relaxing in his embrace. Leaning down to whisper in her ear, he’d said, “I wouldn’t be near you either.” He’d placed a kiss in the curve of her neck and held her close.

They’d stood there for a quiet moment, clinging to each other despite their uncertainty, before checking out the rest of the crates. There’d been weapons, and Oliver took one of the larger rifles. He was a fair shot. He’d gone to the gun range with his father for years and once on a hunting trip—though Oliver didn’t care for shooting animals for sport. Seeing as though his situation was much different now, and he needed all the sustenance he could get, the rifle would come in handy shooting larger and faster game. With the right shot, maybe it could even wound a large, freakish shark. Felicity had stayed clear of it. Guns seemed to make her nervous.

She had perked up upon discovering some canned food. It was mostly fruit and vegetables, but it might as well have been a feast for a king in Oliver’s opinion. He was yearning for normal food. Together, they’d emptied a lighter crate and packed it with as many supplies as they could. Oliver couldn’t make it too heavy. Although Felicity was helping him carry it, he’d born the majority of the weight.

On the way back, they’d made yet another happy discovery. There was a beautiful lake not too far from there. It was Felicity who’d first heard the sounds of the miniature waterfall. Oliver had soon realized that it was where the water from the brook came from. The water looked calm and clear.

“Fancy a swim?” Felicity had asked him.

Oliver had already felt hot and sweaty from all the packing and lifting they’d done. So he’d answered, “Sure.”

Felicity had sat on the shore and eased her legs into the water. Within seconds, her scales reformed and reappeared into a tail.

“You can transform in fresh water?”

“Yes. Any large body of water will do the trick.”

“And you can breathe?”

The blonde nodded. “We can adapt, as long as the water is clean and not contaminated. It’s just like how you breathe air. Different places have different air conditions, but oxygen is oxygen.” She had started unbuttoning his shirt and placed it gently aside. “This is really good. If I can swim for a bit, it will keep my strength intact.”

“Then let’s swim,” Oliver had declared. He’d removed the hoodie and jumped in after her with his shorts; they could use a good wash. Besides, he’d gotten new pants from the plane stash.

The water had been cool yet refreshing. It wasn’t completely clear underneath, but that didn’t seem to bother Felicity at all. They’d swum for at least a couple of hours. Felicity, as usual, was magnificent in her natural form. He’d stopped trying to keep up with her as she swam at her full speed. Oliver hadn’t complained, though. Felicity needed to stretch her fins. He’d simply been content to be around her.

She eventually returned to him. They’d floated there in the lake, talking and playing while splashing at each other. That had been intermixed with lots of kissing.

Unsurprisingly, the lake was Felicity’s favorite spot. They’d gone again the next day. The sun was out, and the temperature felt slightly warmer than usual. Oliver had told Felicity to start swimming while he went to the plane to gather more supplies. She needed all the time she could get in the water, and he was perfectly fine foraging for himself. Oliver packed a much lighter supply this time. He used one of the military jackets to create a bag and place the items inside.

When he returned to Felicity, she was happily floating along the surface of the water. Oliver was sweaty and shirtless from all the work he’d done. The sooner he joined her in the cool water the better. She disappeared underneath seconds later, and Oliver startled when she suddenly sprang out several feet away. Felicity flew through the air, perfectly arching her body, and dived backwards into the water.

He let out a whistle of approval when she resurfaced. Her smile was as bright as the sun when she swam toward him.

“Impressive,” he complimented and leaned over the water’s edge.

“Thank you,” she replied, blushing, and shifted up to greet him.

Oliver slipped his arm into the water to wrap around her waist and keep her close. Meanwhile, Felicity clutched his free hand and dug the other one into his hair.

The kiss started off slow but quickly became heated. His mouth devoured hers as she opened wider to accommodate him. Oliver groaned before slipping his tongue along the edge of her bottom lip and delving inside. He was suddenly starved for her taste and the feeling of her against his skin. Felicity seemed just as wanton as she clung fiercely to him.

With a determined moan, Oliver encircled her waist and yanked Felicity right out of the water. They felt backwards, with her on top, and she gasped in surprise. But the kiss didn’t break. She pressed herself harder against him, so the tops of her breasts peeking out of her bra grazed his bare skin. Their abdomens flexed against each other, slipping and sliding from her slick skin, and it sent a jolt of pleasure straight to his groin. He grew harder when he felt her legs tangle with his minutes later.

Oliver’s fingers throbbed with the desire to trace a line down her spine and cup her perfect backside. Felicity was bare to him—probably without even realizing it—and he’d finally get to feel her without a barrier. All he’d have to do afterward is unbutton his pants to free himself and guide her down until he was buried deep inside her. God, how he wanted to know what she felt like. Their bodies already fit perfectly in so many different ways that he was sure when they were joined, it would be pure bliss.

If Oliver were his old self, he might’ve tried to see how far he could get with her. He would never force a woman, but someone as inexperienced as Felicity wouldn’t need much coaxing to push her limits on her own. But Oliver wasn’t that young, selfish boy anymore. For the first time, he’d been forced to grow up and take responsibility for his own actions. For the first time, he had someone in his life whose needs mattered more than his own.

Felicity was too important, too precious, too pure to be treated like anything other than the angel she was to him. The ache in Oliver’s heart far outweighed the ache in his body. So, as badly as he wanted her, he still reached for the shirt she’d cast aside earlier and covered her with it instead.

Felicity pulled away, startled, and looked down at him. Her lips were swollen and her wet hair disheveled. He held her gaze while helping her to slide her arms through the sleeves and wrap it around her body. The excess material bunched at their waists, making another barrier.  And yet, he felt more connected to her than ever.

Oliver stroked her cheek and gave her a tender kiss. Her eyes watered, though they looked to be filled with awe more than unshed tears.

“I love you,” Felicity blurted out. It was promptly followed by the usual gnawing of her lip as she stared nervously at him, waiting for his reaction.

Those three little words had haunted him with other women. The moment they said them, Oliver cringed and was already plotting how to make a break for it. But with Felicity, he didn’t feel panic or fear. Oddly enough, it felt like something inside of him was sliding into place. A missing piece of the puzzle found. His heart finally bursting to life.

Oliver guided her face back to his and touched her lips in an even softer, more intimate kiss that had her trembling. Or maybe he was the one who was shaking. He didn’t know which, but there was one thing he knew for sure.

“I love you, too.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Part 2 with additional edits can be read here: http://bit.ly/2v3ysOb**


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Hey, guys! I’m so excited to finally be posting Part 3 of this story! Thank you to everyone who’s been supportive by commenting and giving kudos. I truly appreciate it.**
> 
> **Although this fic is rated Teen, this next part contains mature content. So just a heads-up. I hope you enjoy it and will let me know what you think. Happy reading!**

Oliver woke to the sound of birds chirping and the ribbits of a noisy frog who must’ve wandered from the nearby brook. He groaned and rolled over, fully expecting to get an armful of Felicity’s small yet warm body and bury his head into her golden tresses. Instead, his hand felt nothing but emptiness.

Peeling his eyes open, Oliver found that he was, indeed, all alone in the makeshift tent. Frowning, he got up and made his way outside. He shivered in the chilly morning air and called Felicity’s name. Nothing but the natural sounds of the forest responded back.

Rubbing his hands over his face, Oliver yawned and reached into the tent for his green hoodie. Maybe Felicity had decided to go for an early swim in the lake. Only a faint light from the rising sun shone in the sky, but it was enough for him to find his way without stumbling through the brush.

Oliver stood at the water’s edge and called Felicity’s name again while scanning the surface for ripples or movement. Still nothing. Perhaps she had dove deep under the water. He removed his shoes and waded until it was almost up to his knees, making a point to splash as he shouted for her once more. She would surely hear that considering her senses were most attune in her natural habitat.

He heard a splash nearby and was disappointed when it was nothing more than a bird diving toward the water to swipe a fish. A feeling of unease formed in the pit of his stomach. Something wasn’t right. If Felicity was in the lake, she should’ve heard him and responded by now. He scrutinized the entire perimeter but didn’t see anything.

Oliver returned to the shore, grabbed his shoes, and went into the forest. Panic had begun to set in as he called her name louder and was met with more silence. He didn’t think she’d take off to explore the island on her own, which left only one more place she could be. Once he heard the faint sounds of the tide breaking along the beach, he broke out into a full run.

Felicity said she could only stay on land with him for a couple of days, and he didn’t think she’d return to the water without saying good-bye. But what if she’d gone to the shore to check if it was safe and wound up in danger? The sight of King Shark lunging at them from the water the other night still haunted him.

Oliver cursed himself for not thinking to bring with him the gun he’d found. Even if he did find Felicity in that monster’s clutches, how would he be able to help her without a weapon?

It would take too much time to go back now; he was almost to the beach. He broke through the trees and scanned the shoreline. It felt like his stomach was in his throat until he finally spotted her. Felicity sat a little ways down the beach looking out at the ocean as the sun came up. She wasn’t fully submerged in the water, but she must’ve gotten wet enough for her tail to form.

**  
**

“Felicity,” he shouted and rushed to her side. “What are you doing? It’s not safe.”

She kept her eyes on the horizon. “I don’t sense him. King Shark isn’t here.”

“Still, you shouldn’t be out here alone. You had me worried.”

Despite that she was safe and sound, Oliver continued to feel ill at ease. Felicity had yet to take her eyes off of the water. It looked like she was in some kind of trance, as if the sea was calling to her.

“Felicity.” She must’ve heard the concern in his voice, because she finally met his gaze. “I thought you’d left,” he confessed.

“I would never leave without telling you.” Another glance at the ocean. “But with King Shark finally gone, it’s an ideal time to return to my village.”

His heart lurched in his chest at the prospect of her leaving. Although it’d only been a couple of days, Oliver had gotten used to spending every waking—and non-waking, for that matter—moment with Felicity. Their uninterrupted time together had solidified their bond, along with the declaration of their true feelings. The adoring look in Felicity’s eyes as she told him she loved him still gave him goose bumps. No one had ever looked at him that way before, and Oliver was sure his own expression had been similar.

He’d never expected to find a love like he had with Felicity. It was more than a connection shared between them. She actually felt like she’d become a part of him. And the mere thought of losing that—losing her—tore at the very fabric of his soul.

“Don’t go,” he begged, reclaiming her attention.

“Oliver—”

“It’s not safe. How do you know King Shark isn’t lurking just beyond where you can sense him? He could be waiting for you.”

“He’s not. He wouldn’t leave his main territory for long.”

“If he’s near your village, how will you return?”

“I’d sneak in the same way I snuck out,” she answered.

Oliver crouched down and cupped her cheek. “How can you be sure?”

Felicity examined his face and offered a small, reassuring smile. “I may be blonde, but I’m not that blonde. I’m much quicker and cleverer than I appear,” she tried to joke.

“You don’t have to be funny for me. You know that, right?” Normally Oliver loved her witty and sarcastic sense of humor. But he couldn’t help but feel that she was downplaying the danger in order to placate him.

“I know.” She kissed the palm of his hand. “I promise I’m careful, my love. Trust me.”

Despite his worry, the endearment filled him with warmth. “I do trust you. It’s that monster I don’t trust. He’s already taken my father from me. If I lost you, too, I don’t know what would become of me.”

Felicity leaned in and kissed him tenderly on the lips. “I love you.”

Oliver deepened it, and she let out a soft mewl into his mouth. “I love you, too. I’m not ready to let you go yet,” he whispered and rested his forehead against hers.

“I know, but my mother worries for my safety, too.”

The knot in his gut tightened. How exactly could he argue with that? Maybe his worry for her was also wrapped up in selfishness. If he could get word to his family that he was alive and safe, wouldn’t he do it? He couldn’t expect any less from Felicity.

She bit her lip, obviously deep in thought. “Maybe I can stay one more day—”

“No, I’m sorry. You’re right. If you have a chance to go, you should go,” Oliver said. “I can wait.”

Felicity sighed. “I don’t want to leave you either.” She glanced at the water, her brow scrunched in concentration. “There may be another way. Give me a few minutes. I’ll be right back.” With one last peck, she released him and inched herself into the rising tide.

Oliver watched with baited breath as Felicity dove underwater. He planted his feet in the sand and stood like an unmovable statue, waiting for what felt like eternity. Finally, Felicity broke the surface and made her way back to him. He held out her clothes and looked away, giving her a chance to dress herself.

She tapped his shoulder, and he turned back to face her. Felicity wound her arms around his neck. “I gave us one more day.”

“Really? How?”

“I sent a message to a friend. She’ll know what it means and can get word to my mom that I’m okay.”

With a frown, Oliver asked, “How is that possible? You got mer-mail or something?”

“You’ve heard of carrier pigeons, right?” He nodded. “Think of the same concept but with fish.”

“You can talk to fish?”

“The simple answer is that certain kinds are more attune to us.” Felicity ran her hands through his hair. “What’s important is that we have a little more time.”

“You’re sure it’s okay?”

“Yes. But any longer than that is dangerous. King Shark will be back, and I’d rather not chance him seeing me a second time. If he recognizes me, it could put my loved ones in danger.”

“I understand.” He captured her lips and mumbled, “Thank you.”

“I should spend as much time in the water today as I can, though, to keep up my strength. Since the coast is clear, how about I get us some breakfast?”

Oliver removed his hoodie and shirt. “I’ll join you.” He didn’t want to waste a minute of the time they had together.

Hand in hand, they walked over to the cove area. On the way, Oliver grabbed his spear. Together they descended into the surf. Felicity floated toward the weeded area while Oliver waded where it was more open.

**  
**

She herded the fish toward him, and he speared them one by one. When they’d caught more than enough, Oliver joined Felicity in going farther out so she could stretch her fins in the salt water.

Watching her majestic movements made him, once again, wish he could join her out in the open sea. She didn’t just belong to him; she belonged to a completely different world. And he so badly wished he could be a part of it, too.

Oliver eventually returned to shore to make their breakfast while Felicity remained on the rocks.

**  
**

It was a beautiful sunny day, for which he was thankful. So often the clouds overhead made the sky overcast.

He made a fire and called her once the fish was done cooking. She rejoined him, and they enjoyed their fish after days of eating smaller game off of the land. Afterward, Felicity insisted that they finish setting up his signal fires.

“If a ship passes while I’m away, I want you to be ready and light it,” Felicity told him.

“It’s been months, Felicity, and no one has passed by. I doubt that will change any time soon,” he replied.

“But if it does, you’ll light it, right?”

He stared at her curiously. “Why are you pushing this?”

“I want you to be safe, too. If you have a chance to be rescued, I want you to take it.” Felicity stroked his cheek and let her fingers brush his mouth. “Promise me.”

“I promise,” he replied, forcing out the words. As badly as he wanted off of the island, the thought of leaving her filled him with dread. Oliver sealed his promise with a kiss, however, before they checked on the other signal fires.

In the afternoon, they laid on the beach to soak up as much sun as they could. They talked and exchanged kisses until Felicity drifted off to sleep in his arms. Oliver was tired, too, but couldn’t possibly look away from her. He didn’t know how long Felicity would be gone once she returned to the sea, and he spent his time memorizing every feature of her beautiful face.

When the sun began to set, they returned to the forest. They had the rest of their fish for dinner and then headed for the lake. Felicity wanted to swim once more before bed. The beach was still safe, but she said she’d miss the island when she was gone. The water was also calmer for Oliver to swim with her.

Oliver swam deeper than he ever had before to explore the bottom with her. Giant roots from trees along the shore extended to beneath the water.

**  
**

A couple of times, Felicity breathed oxygen into his mouth to help him stay under longer. If it became too much, she also quickly took him back up to the surface. Oliver was sure it must’ve been hours that they swam. The sun had finally set, and the moon glowed overhead.

He felt their time slipping away and drew Felicity against him as they waded closer to the shore.

**  
**

Felicity clung tightly to him, meeting his hungry kiss with equal passion. His tongue lapped at her bottom lip before sucking it entirely into his mouth. Her much smaller hands traced the muscles of his back and torso. He flexed under her touch and let his own explore her curves.

Oliver kissed a path down the side of her neck, and she leaned back to give him more access. A combination of a giggle and a moan erupted from her when his scruff rubbed against her sensitive skin.

He smirked. “I probably should’ve shaved today.”

Felicity kissed along his jaw before nibbling on his earlobe. Her lips against his ear and the sultry whisper that followed made him shiver. “It’s okay. I like it.”

His mouth latched onto her neck once more, licking and sucking on patches of her wet skin. She wriggled and sighed when his long scruff continued to rub against her. Oliver kissed the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Then along her collarbone and shoulder blades.

He tentatively ventured lower on her chest, giving her time to pull away or halt him. Instead, her hand in his hair tightened and she nudged him down further. Oliver wound his arms around her completely and lifted her up out of the water to lavish the tops of her breasts with kisses. Felicity arched against him, keening in response as he gripped her backside. How he wished she could have her legs in the water and wrap them around his waist.

Her tail brushed against his pelvis, though, which caused the bulge in his shorts to harden. His attention to her breasts seemed to be bringing her pleasure, but Oliver wouldn’t even know where else to touch to increase their intimacy. Would he ruin the moment or sound like a presumptuous jerk if he asked her?

His dilemma didn’t last for long, because Felicity suddenly tugged him away from her. Her lips were pink and swollen from his kisses, as were patches of her skin where his scruff had scraped her. She stared at him with wide, dilated eyes and an almost intoxicated expression.

Felicity swallowed and said, “I think we should go back to shore now.”

Oliver did as she requested and carried her out of the water. He set her down, internally cursing himself for pushing her too far even as his own body rioted. The cold water should’ve calmed him down, not made him as hard as the rocks they’d explored earlier. Then again, it was Felicity’s warm, slick body rubbing up against him that ignited the fire in his veins. Turning his back while she dressed, Oliver closed his eyes and counted to ten to get a handle on himself.

“Oliver,” she murmured and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Another deep breath, and he finally faced her with an apology at the ready. But Oliver’s body didn’t calm, and the words died on his lips. In fact, his desire spiked when he took in Felicity’s bare form. Not only had she not put her clothes back on, but she’d also removed her bra.

“Felicity,” he choked out, shocked.

She glanced up at him shyly but also with determination. His erection twitched when she rested her hands on his chest and stood on her tiptoes to reach his lips. “I love you, Oliver, and I want to be with you in every way I can.”

Instinctively, he reached for her waist and pulled her flush against him. “Felicity…” he groaned when their bare and surprisingly hot flesh met. “We don’t have to do anything.” The objection felt wrong to his body but it was also necessary. He didn’t want her to think she owed him anything.

Felicity’s brow scrunched. “You don’t want to be with me?” she replied, hurt.

“Of course I want to be with you.” His thumb brushed her cheek. “I want nothing more, but I need to make sure this is really what you want. I would never push you before you’re ready.”

Oliver had been her first kiss, which meant that he’d also be her first when it came to making love. It was a huge step, especially for someone with as kind and pure a soul as Felicity. She was the closest thing he’d encountered to an angel in this life, and he’d regret anything that would cause her pain or dim her light afterward.

“I am ready,” she murmured, holding his gaze. “You love me, don’t you?”

“I love you _sooo_ much,” he immediately answered.

“And I love you.” Felicity slid her hands up and around his neck, fulling pressing herself against him. “Who knows what will happen after tomorrow?”

“Felicity, don’t talk like that. Don’t talk like you leaving tomorrow is forever.” He tensed suddenly, his mind racing. “Unless…is this good-bye?” Was her leaving more than just about getting back to her village to check on her mom? Did she plan to stay away to keep King Shark from the island?

“I don’t want it to be, but nothing is for certain—except for how I feel about you. Let’s make the most of tonight and be with each other completely while we can.” She kissed him lovingly. “Okay?”

Reassured, Oliver nodded and captured her lips once more. His entire body hummed with a hot, primal desire to possess Felicity fully. But unlike his numerous hook-ups in the past, this was about more than just sex. This time, his heart would be leading the charge.

He bent down to fetch their clothes. Felicity, slightly confused, took them before he easily scooped her up into his arms. She let out a surprised squeak but snuggled into his embrace when he walked them back to camp.

The temperature had dropped significantly and although she wasn’t as sensitive to the cold as him, he wanted to make a fire that would burn through the night. He set Felicity down and told her to get cozy inside the tent while he tended to the fire. She reluctantly let him go, and he had to suppress a moan when she crawled inside—giving him the perfect view of her naked bottom. She had the best damn ass on land or sea he’d ever seen.

Needless to say, Oliver was highly motivated to finish his work quickly. He was thankful that he always had a stack of wood on hand and set to building the fire.

When he was finished, he practically dove into the tent to get to her. Felicity was still naked, though she had secured the blanket over herself.

Oliver left the flap of the tent open so that they could enjoy the light and heat from the fire. When he approached Felicity, she sat up and let the blanket pool at her waist—exposing her breasts. A low growl emitted from his throat when he took in the pert mounds and their puckered, rosy centers. Oliver wanted to bury his face between them but managed to hold off. He couldn’t get carried away just yet. They still had something important to discuss.

“Felicity, what about birth control?” he asked her. “Could I…is there a possibility I could get you pregnant?”

Oliver cursed himself and his playboy ways because even though he had his wallet in his pants pocket, the condom he always kept in there had been used not long before he’d gotten on the boat with his father. His best friend Tommy had convinced him to go out drinking the night before, and he’d hooked up with some girl that he could barely even remember now.

Despite her blush, Felicity answered directly, “I’ve got that covered. I’ve been taking a natural remedy my people use to prevent it.”

“And you’re sure it’ll work? How long have you been taking it?”

Her cheeks turned a deeper shade of red. “I started taking it that first night we officially met.”

Oliver barely suppressed a satisfied grin at her confession. “But you’ve been on land for days,” he pointed out.

“It’s quite potent. It only needs to be consumed once a week or so.” Felicity reached for his hand. “I promise I’ve taken every precaution. I’m not trying to trap you or anything. I’m still young, and I don’t want a child anytime soon and—”

“I wasn’t thinking that,” he interjected. “I just want to make sure we have all bases covered. I don’t want to leave you vulnerable either. I’m always careful—and I have a clean bill of health, by the way. Just in case you had any further concerns.”

“I understand, and thank you for telling me that.” She looked bashfully at the ground as her hands fidgeted in her lap.  “I’ve never been with anyone, so I guess you know where I’m coming from.”

Oliver scooted closer to her and lifted her chin up. “Do you trust me?”

She smiled, revealing her adorable dimples. “Yes.”

He kissed the tip of her nose and then her mouth. “I love you, and I’m going to take care of you. Okay?” She was obviously nervous, which was to be expected, and he figured the extra reassurance would settle her somewhat.

Felicity exhaled, and he felt the soft puff of air against his lips. “I believe you.”

Oliver kissed her, taking Felicity into his arms once again. 

Their moans mingled when her breasts rubbed against his chest. The sensation of her hardened nipples digging into him sent a jolt of pleasure straight to his groin.

“Lie back,” he murmured.

Felicity did as he instructed and laid flat on her back. Oliver leaned over her, tasting her skin and working his way down to her breasts. She arched her back to offer more of herself to him, and he finally latched onto a hardened nub. She gasped his name, her voice heavy and wanton, as he flicked his tongue against it and sucked it fully into his mouth.

Oliver did the same to the other, loving the appreciative sounds he was eliciting from her as she tugged at his hair. He kissed her slender and toned stomach, circling his tongue around her belly button and venturing lower. His hands gripped her hips to keep her in place, as she couldn’t stop squirming against him. Oliver quickly learned that she was slightly ticklish.

He hovered over her pelvis, taking in the soft patch of curls above her sex. He still couldn’t get over the transformation and wanted to explore it further. “Felicity,” he said to get her attention. It took a moment, but she finally opened her heavy-lidded eyes. “I want to kiss you.”

“Okay.” She reached for him, but he shook his head.

“Not on the mouth.” He caressed her thigh before slipping his hand between her legs. He ran a finger along her folds and groaned at the wetness already present. “Here,” he said.

She sucked in a breath, her hips jerking from his touch, and nodded.

“Yes?” he made sure.

“Yes,” came her ardent reply.

Oliver continued to stroke her, loving Felicity’s enthusiastic pants. He circled her entrance before slipping a finger inside her. She cried out loudly, and his own aroused growl followed at the feel of her tightness. He had to make sure she was good and ready before he ever entered her, because he knew she would need to adjust to his size.

A moment later, he replaced his finger with his mouth. He swiped his tongue along her slit before sucking on the small bundle of nerves. Felicity’s hips lifted, pressing further into him, and he delved inside her—wanting more of her sweet and salty essence. His hands locked her hips in place as she writhed beneath him, and his arms kept her thighs spread leaving her open to his ministrations.

He imagined himself as a fisherman, shucking an oyster in search of the pearl at her center. Felicity’s fingernails dug into his shoulders, spurring him on. He added his finger and returned to her sensitive bundle of nerves. With each stroke and thrust, she came further undone. Until finally her body curled up with her release, and he plundered the remnants of her orgasm.

“Oliver,” she panted. “Oliver…oh my God…”

He was filled with an intense sense of pride and sat back on his haunches, taking her in.

Already a thin sheen of sweat coated her body, which was a lovely shade of pink from her arousal. It further fueled his need for her. His erection strained against his shorts, and he reached for the button to undo them.

Felicity watched him the entire time as she fought to catch her breath. When he was finally bared to her, her eyes widened with a mixture of trepidation and desire. Oliver slowly lowered himself on top of her, taking his time and letting her adjust to the feel of him. They both hissed when he gently rubbed the tip of his shaft against her sex.

Their lips met in a slow yet passionate kiss.

Oliver couldn’t help but groan when she opened her mouth wider for him and simultaneously spread her thighs to accommodate his much larger body. He continued to circle his hips, grinding himself against her in an erotic yet torturous rhythm. If it wasn’t Felicity’s first time, he would’ve already plunged into her and used every hard thrust that followed to stake is claim on the beautiful creature beneath him.

But Felicity deserved more than a good fucking. She deserved to be loved and cherished. So he kissed her for a few minutes longer until she was practically begging for more.

One of his hands framed her face while the other reached between them. He positioned himself at her entrance and eased forward. Her eyes were open and on him, and he didn’t dare look away. He held her stare, wanting to see every emotion play out on her face when they were finally joined.

Felicity gasped as he pushed himself all the way inside of her. His vision almost blurred from the pleasure of being so tightly sheathed in her depths. He’d never felt the natural sensation of being so intimately connected to a woman, and it was almost too much. But Felicity was clearly having some difficulty with his size, and so he held off on his own carnal desire.

“Are you okay?” He ran his hands through her hair and kissed her forehead.

She let out a puff of air against his neck and bobbed her head. “I think so. I just need a minute.” Her arms were in a vise-like grip around him, and he let her hold on for as long as she needed.

He pressed his lips against her temple and mumbled into her hair, “I love you.”

She kissed his shoulder. “I love you, too, Oliver.”

“Are you in pain?”

“I think it’s passing. You can—you can try and move now.”

Oliver gently eased out of her, and slowly thrust back in. Felicity moaned, which he took as a good sign. He repeated the action a few more times with his head buried in her neck. He kept his eyes closed, savoring the tightness of her walls while trying not to lose control completely.

The tension in Felicity’s body eased, and soon she started lifting her hips in time with his thrusts. He sucked on her neck, and she pressed her breasts harder into him as he moved on top of her. Tracing her curves, Oliver let his hand glide down the side of her body until he reached her thigh. He hooked it up around his hip, holding tight as he changed the angle of his thrusts.

Felicity whimpered in approval and sought his lips.

He devoured her mouth while their lower bodies gyrated together to seek release. She was so damn wet that it helped him work through her tautness to reach that magic spot that had her digging her nails into his flesh every time. She sent hot jolts of ecstasy straight down his spine, which automatically made his thrusts that much harder and deeper. He would most definitely be left with claw marks on his back but didn’t care. He wanted her mark left on him just as he did the same to her.

“O-Oliver,” she stuttered against his lips. “I’m so close.”

“Me too,” he told her and sucked on her pulse point. He licked a drop of sweat from her skin and clutched her tighter.

“Are you sure?”

Another swift thrust. “What do you mean?”

“Do I feel okay? Am I…do I feel normal?” she rushed out.

Shocked by her question, he actually stopped—which earned a whimper of protest from Felicity. “What?”

“Sorry, I just mean—what I meant is,” she tried again, “I’m different. I might not be like other human girls, and I want this to feel as amazing for you as it is for me.”

Oliver framed her face with his hands and forced her to meet his eyes. “Everything about you is amazing, including the way you feel. You’re better than normal,” he said and kissed her deeply. “I can’t get enough of you.”

Felicity looked relieved and moaned when he shifted above her. “I can’t get enough of you either. I feel you everywhere, Oliver.”

He growled, taking full possession of her mouth, and dragged himself out of her before cocking forward in a powerful thrust. Felicity practically screamed his name, spurring him on. It was probably a good thing they were alone on the island as their passionate, ravenous pleas echoed in the night. His heart was so full it was near bursting, and his body wasn’t far behind.

With one last thrust, they fell over the edge—clinging desperately together as if they were back in the ocean being battered by the waves. The pleasure consumed them both, and they happily drowned in it. Oliver groaned Felicity’s name as he felt himself spill inside of her. The sensation so base and primal that he didn’t stop until there was nothing left.

Neither one moved for long minutes. They were a sweaty tangle of limbs content to simply lie with each other as they caught their breath. Finally, Oliver lifted his head, pressed a kiss to Felicity’s brow, and rolled to the side. She turned inward and rested against his chest. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tightly in his embrace.

“Thank you,” Felicity murmured, “for making me feel so special.”

“You are special, which is why I should be thanking you.” Oliver gave her an affectionate squeeze.

“Oliver,” she spoke again, breaking their comfortable silence, “it’s going to be even harder to leave you tomorrow.”

“I know.” His fingers traced invisible patterns into her back. It was impossible to stop touching her.

“We probably won’t see each other for a while.”

His hand paused. “How long is ‘a while’?”

Sighing, Felicity lifted her head so she could meet his curious stare. “There’s something I have to tell you. Oliver, when I leave, I’m not just going back to my village. I’m going to the mainland.”

“Why?” he asked despite already knowing the answer.

“You deserve to be rescued and returned home to your family.”

“Felicity, you said you weren’t sure you could make it to the mainland. That it was too dangerous.”

“I will find a way, because it’s also too dangerous for you to stay here. I won’t be able to keep traveling back here anyway. Eventually King Shark will find me.”

Oliver sat up. “While I’m grateful for your help, you’re crazy if you think I’m just going to leave you behind with that monster.”

Felicity followed suit. “This is a mer problem.”

“No, it’s not. That thing took down our yacht. It’s the reason my father is dead, and I’m trapped here. It’s targeting you, the woman I love, and terrorizing your home.” He cupped her cheek. “Therefore, it’s just as much my problem as it is yours. The only way I’m agreeing to leave this island is if you come with me.”

“What?”

Gazing into her blue depths, he repeated, “Come with me. You’d be safe in Starling, and we could be together.”

“But my mother—”

“She can come, too.”

“And my village.”

“Felicity, my family has unlimited resources. Our company has access to some of the smartest minds in the world. Maybe someone could help figure out a way to capture King Shark and take him down.”

“I appreciate that, Oliver. I really do. But I can’t risk the exposure of my people. We have our own ways of dealing with predators.”

“Well, obviously those ways haven’t worked, have they?” he snapped and immediately regretted it when hurt flashed in her eyes. “I’m sorry. I just…I need you to be safe, too.”

“I know that.” She covered his hand with her own and kissed his palm.

“You’ve saved me in so many ways, Felicity. You’ve literally been my angel through all of this. Or maybe angelfish would be a more accurate term.” She grinned. “How could I turn my back on you now, when you need me most?”

“It wouldn’t be the same, though, in Starling. You’ll have your old life back and almost anything you could ever want. You might feel differently about us—me—when you have so much—”

“I’m not who I was before the Gambit went down. I’ve changed. The old Oliver is not coming back and I don’t want him to. I love you, Felicity, and I want to be with you. If Starling is too much for you and I have to buy us a whole damn island to live on by ourselves, then I’ll do it,” he declared, earning an amused smile from her.

“You can afford an island?”

“My family can afford several,” he told her.

“Well, that’s convenient,” she muttered.

“Please tell me you’ll consider it.”

“I will, but you promised me you’d light the signal fire if a ship passes.”

“I’ll light it when I have your answer. Not a moment before.”

“So you’re saying that if I left tomorrow and a ship passed by, you wouldn’t even try to gain its attention?”

“No, I wouldn’t,” he stated and meant it. 

Starling, his home, would always be there waiting for him. It was Felicity that was the uncertainty. As soon as he was rescued, he wouldn’t put it past her to disappear into the depths of the ocean to never be seen again. Because it already sounded like she thought that was what’s best for him. His continued presence on the island was his only sure way of keeping her in his life.

“Oliver, that’s insane. You’d really miss an opportunity at salvation because—”

“You are my salvation,” he proclaimed. “I won’t leave this island without the possibility of seeing you again.”

“What if I told you right now that I can’t go with you?” she challenged.

“I’d say you haven’t thought about it long enough and are just trying to appease me.”

“It sounds like there’s only one possible answer.”

“If you truly want to be with me then, yes, there is.” A foreboding sense of doubt struck him. “Unless you don’t want to be with me.”

“I want you more than anything in my entire life,” Felicity declared with watery eyes.

“Angelfish, please say you’ll come with me,” he urged. The endearment made her smile despite the tear that ran down her cheek. Oliver wiped it away and kissed her.

“I need time to process,” she mumbled into his neck. “Can we just enjoy tonight and talk about it some more tomorrow?”

Oliver was disappointed, but Felicity hadn’t outright said no. That was progress and enough for right now. “Okay.”

Her lips sought his yet again, and he groaned when her tongue teased his own. Felicity’s arms encircled his shoulders, and she leaned back to guide him on top of her. They didn’t part for the rest of the night.

* * *

 

Oliver was up early the next morning. He couldn’t take his eyes off of Felicity, who remained curled into his side with her gorgeous golden tresses framing her face. A few tender kisses caused her eyelids to flutter open. The beaming smile she greeted him with was definitely something he could get used to every morning. 

Once they’d had their fill of loving caresses and kisses, they got up to start the day. There was an unspoken tension in the air—their conversation from the night before and Felicity’s inevitable departure looming over them. Neither brought it up, though, wanting to prolong their bliss from the newfound intimacy they’d shared last night.

Felicity confirmed that the coast was clear on the beach. King Shark still hadn’t returned, and so she’d gone fishing for their breakfast while Oliver prepared the fire. He skinned the fish, but it was Felicity who insisted on cooking it. She had foraged both in the ocean and forest for some plants that would add much-needed flavor to their normally mundane meal.

They shared more kisses in between and soon settled down to eat. Oliver was ravenous that morning and had eaten almost half his portion before noticing that Felicity had barely touched hers.

“You okay?” he asked her.

“I can’t go with you to Starling, Oliver,” she blurted out. “Not yet.”

The food turned to acid in his stomach, and his mind spun. “Why?”

“I have more that I need to do here first—on my own,” she added.

Oliver blinked a few times as he tried to process her words. His head was suddenly pounding, and his body felt discombobulated. Then his vision blurred. “Felicity, what’s going on?”

She cast her fish aside, an expression of remorse on her beautiful face. “I’m so sorry, Oliver, but it has to be this way.”

“Did you—did you give me something?” The words felt heavy in his mouth. Everything in sight was tilting, and he swayed in his seat.

“I love you more than you could ever know, and I promise that someday we will be together. I _will_ come back to you, I promise.”

Oliver felt her hands on him, but he wasn’t sure where. He slurred, “Feli-li-cccityyyy…”

He thought he was on the ground. The last thing he saw was a pair of feet walking toward the water.

Oliver tried to reach out, but he could barely feel his body as his mind slipped away. Then his entire world went dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Thanks for reading! As I've mentioned before, AO3 is a little finicky with images so this fic is also posted on my Tumblr. Part 3 with full visual edits (extra pics and gifs) can be found here: http://bit.ly/2GSXWV3**

**Author's Note:**

> **Tumblr: http://bit.ly/2kPwgr6**


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